Over the last couple of years APHS has developed a growing presence in the oncology sector. This is the direct result of an internal strategy APHS has been building under the ICON project. The first phase of this strategy was to establish APHS as a preferred provider of pharmacy services for day oncology centres. The second phase was to secure partnerships with day oncology centres and thus participate in the delivery of direct cancer care. With 4 day oncology hospitals and over 200 staff across south-east Queensland, HOCA is the largest private oncology provider in Australia and the perfect partner to help deliver an exceptional approach to private cancer care for all Australians.

In line with the transaction, Dr Brett Robinson has formally stepped into the role of ICON CEO leading all HOCA sites and delivering on the vision.

Cathie Reid, APHS Managing Partner, won the Commonwealth Bank Business Owner Award at the national Telstra Business Women’s Awards on Friday. After winning her category at the Queensland event, Cathie went on to take out the national prize above seven other exceptional finalists from all across Australia.

Cathie’s win and acceptance speech acknowledged the role APHS plays in meeting the needs of Australia’s ageing population. “In an ageing society where the working population is also decreasing, being an innovator in healthcare is essential” said Cathie. “We have pushed the boundaries of a traditional pharmacy business with our move into manufacturing and the operation of cancer care facilities, and we will continue to push it with the introduction of technology like the Medido Monitored Compliance Device. This device supports the next level of medication assistance for elderly Australians by alerting a person when their medication is due and monitoring their compliance. It is the discovery and application of this type of technology, and the impact that it can have in our community, that motivates me and the team at APHS each and every day”.

Cathie explains “This award is more than an endorsement of my career; it is recognition for the entire APHS team. We are an Australia-wide organisation and to win on a national level recognises the exceptional work our people do from the eastern to the western seaboard. It is also a reflection of the integral role pharmacists play in delivering quality healthcare to Australians. We are a sector that isn’t often recognised, but this award truly demonstrates the value of our contribution to society”.

For more information contact Jenny Hansen, APHS Brand & Communication Manager, on 07 3347 9526 or jenny.hansen@aphs.com.au.

Cathie’s win and acceptance speech acknowledged the role APHS plays in meeting Australia’s ageing population. “One of my key responsibilities in recent years has been to take the intellectual property developed in our aged care pharmacy business and convert this into a manufactured product” commented Cathie. “We manufacture medication compliance aids using the latest cutting edge technology. Traditionally pharmacies have prepared these aids manually, many doing so at a loss and with a limit to how many they can deliver. Our solution now gives pharmacies all across Australia the ability to deliver a safer aid at up to a third of the cost of doing it manually. Now they have a solution that enables them to grow with the ageing population”.

Cathie explains “This award is more than an endorsement of my career and the entire APHS team; it is a reflection of our customers’ support. Our customers have helped APHS Packaging deliver one of the fastest growing pharmacy products in Australia, one that not only provides them with a business benefit but meets a growing community need”.

Cathie proceeds to the national Telstra Business Women’s Awards on Friday 18 November to compete for the Commonwealth Bank Business Owner title.

For more information contact Jenny Hansen, APHS Brand & Communication Manager, on 07 3347 9500.

“This is not just a public endorsement of my work, it is recognition of the entire APHS team who have worked so hard to deliver a business that is growing beyond all expectations” said Reid. 

As Managing Partner of APHS’ Aged Care and Packaging divisions, Cathie is responsible for converting the organisation’s aged care IP into a solution that allows community pharmacies to outsource their medication compliance packaging. For pharmacies, the solution comes at up to a third of the cost of manual packing while increasing safety and independence for self-medicating customers.

Cathie explains “Medication compliance is a challenge for our nation; our compliance sachet gives elderly Australians the ability to be safe and independent when dealing with medication. To have this recognised publicly is exciting for both myself and all the APHS team members who work so hard to deliver a safe and reliable medication solution for our ageing population.”

For any media enquiries please contact APHS on 07 3347 9500.

For more details on batch recalls please read the following recall statement.